Nathan Lorah '16

Major: Mechanical EngineeringHometown:East Liverpool, Ohio

I learned how to take initiative as a leader as I worked with a group of my peers to write a detailed report on constructing a windmill. Constructing the windmill and watching it work to produce energy was a rewarding experience.

Uconnect Parents and Family Association Newsletter - February 2013

February 2013

U and the President

It’s hard to believe that, in only a few months, we will be bidding farewell and best wishes to the Class of 2013. We will watch as these exceptional students cross the stage at Commencement and firmly grasp the degree that they worked so very hard to earn. As we continue to prepare our students for success upon graduation, it’s good to know that we have an outstanding record of producing alumni who are making an impact in the world. I would like to take this opportunity to share just a few examples with you.

Dr. Shuvo Roy ’92 serves as director of The Kidney Project, an effort to create the first implantable artificial kidney for patients with kidney failure.

Carrie Coon ’03 was listed in the Best of 2012: The Year's Top 10 Breakthrough Stage Performances by Theater Mania for her Broadway debut as Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Brent Stehlik ’99 has been named executive vice president – chief revenue officer of the Cleveland Browns after spending the past three years with the San Diego Padres.

It’s clear to see that these alumni are achieving great heights in their respective fields. Armed with a Mount Union education, they are making their way and experiencing great success. I could share hundreds of success stories, but it really boils down to one statistic – 97%. That’s the percentage of survey respondents from the Class of 2011 who have secured professional employment or graduate school placement in the college or university of their choice, all in an average of one month after graduation.

This is a testament to the success of our Office of Career Development’s efforts. I hope you will encourage your student to take full advantage of all that our career development opportunities offer, including Exceptional Connections, a new, innovative, online tool that connects alumni, faculty and friends with current students for career mentoring and guidance. Built jointly by the Office of Alumni Relations and University Activities and Office of Career Development, the system has already seen a number of alumni and students join and actively participate. You can learn more at connect.mountunion.edu.

It’s never too soon to begin thinking about the future, and at the University of Mount Union, we are committed to preparing our students for success after graduation. Our exceptional alumni are a testament to the type of experience we provide, and they truly illustrate that a Mount Union education is a proven investment.

Sincerely,

Dr. Richard F. GiesePresident of the University of Mount Union

U and the Parents and Family Association

As a parent of a current Mount Union student, you are invited to attend Alumni and campus events.

Complimentary tickets are now available for the University of Mount Union's 2013 Schooler Lecture featuring Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory A. Booker. Booker will speak on "How to Change the World with Your Bare Hands."

Reverse Raffle and Silent Auction

March 16All Raider fans are invited to participate in this annual fundraiser to support all current Raider athletic programs. Only 200 raffle tickets are available and you do not need to be present to win! Guests tickets are also available. Contact any Raider coach or the Office of Alumni Relations and University Activities to purchase.

SCHOLAR Day April 23Student Celebration Honoring Our Latest Academic Research. This day-long event highlights the work of some of our best and brightest students through individual or group presentations and poster sessions. Check the schedule in the spring for presentations included this year.

U and our Students

This is a great time for little siblings, cousins and family friends to visit Alliance with their big “sib!”

During this weekend, the Raider Programming Board, in conjunction with several other campus organizations, provides many fun and exciting activities for sibs and kids of all ages!

Throughout the weekend, we’ll have events from a Blue Ribbon Bash coloring contest to a County Fair and much more! Registration and the complete schedule of events will soon be available on the Little Sibs Weekend webpage, so check back soon! http://www.mountunion.edu/little-sibs-weekend

If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to contact Lindsey Laret, assistant director of student involvement and leadership, at (330) 829-2764 or laretlm@mountunion.edu.

We hope to see you in April!

Is Your Student Ready For Career Fair Season?

Jobs for upcoming graduates as well as internships are up for grabs this semester. Is your student ready to go after them? Career fairs are a major component of an internship or job search plan. How often does anyone get the opportunity to speak directly with 50-100+ recruiters? That face time is invaluable! In fact, recruiters who attended Mount Union’s fall career fair made 180 contacts with students who attended the fair.

There are three basic components to a successful career fair experience. You can help your student maximize his or her efforts by asking these three questions:

1) Do you have an interview suit?2) Do you have your résumé in order?3) Do you know how to “work” a job fair?

Encourage your student to schedule an appointment with the Office of Career Development to discuss these questions and all aspects of their internship and job search plans. Appointments before spring break are recommended due to the volume of traffic in the office after that point in the semester. Below is a list of the career fairs co-hosted by the University of Mount Union:

The deadline for studying abroad in the fall is March 15. Please begin the application process soon as programs are competitive.

What Are Your Summer 2013 Plans? Four Mount Union Professors Will Teach Abroad Summer of 2013… And You Can Go Too!

This coming summer, four Mount Union professors have been selected to travel to far-away lands and share their knowledge with the global community. Professor Mark McConnell, Dr. Len Cooper, Dr. Kristine Turko and Dr. Paul Tidman will all be teaching abroad this summer… and you can go along! You can experience the unique opportunity of taking a Mount Union quality course while living in a foreign culture!

But where are they going? What are they teaching? What makes this opportunity so unique? The professors themselves have answered all of these questions.

Mr. Mark McConnell, assistant professor in marketing and USAC veteran, will be teaching in Shanghai, China. The course he is teaching, Internet Marketing, is an ideal course to take in Shanghai. “Shanghai has the fastest growing economy in the history of the world! It is a very attractive destination and will prove highly useful to one’s career,” said McConnell.

Dr. Len Cooper, assistant professor of communication, will be teaching Photojournalism in Madrid, Spain during the first summer session. Cooper’s course will give students a rare opportunity to learn about visual reporting in sunny, historic Spain!

Dr. Kristine Turko, associate professor of psychology, will be teaching Cognition and Marketing in Bilbao, Spain. Turko will be exploring the psychology behind the consumer’s actions in this unique course. According to her, this class will “describe how ads affect decision making, discuss how memory affects product purchasing and brand loyalty, identify how the internet is affecting consumer behavior and apply skills in cross cultural learning to academic, professional and personal endeavors.” Her class will resemble those taught at Mount Union, only with a beautiful coastal view and an intriguing foreign culture as a backdrop!

Dr. Paul Tidman, professor of philosophy and religious studies, will be teaching Introduction to Philosophy in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This introductory course will be modified to fit the cultural setting of Thailand, with Eastern Buddhist philosophy being taught alongside traditional Western philosophical viewpoints. Tidman firmly believes that every college student should take philosophy in order to learn how to ask the big, basic questions of life and also to teach them how to express opinions eloquently. To learn all of this while living in a foreign culture is a unique opportunity indeed!

For specific course information, contact Professors McConnell, Cooper, Turko and Tidman directly or the Center for Global Education at globaled@mountunion.edu.

Residence Life

Home Away From Home - Residence Life at Mount UnionSummer housing is available for students who wish to remain on campus for all or part of the summer. Students will have an opportunity to sign up for summer housing in April. At that time, students can indicate that they require housing for the entire summer or simply contract for a specified number of weeks if, for example, they are only staying for one of the short summer sessions (3 or 7 weeks).

Students typically move into their summer school assignment the week after graduation (they can stay in their halls until they are relocated) and move back to the halls at the end of the summer (about three weeks before the start of school). Students will typically have a roommate over the summer as well.

There is no meal plan option available over the summer so students should plan on preparing their own meals during this time. If you have questions about summer housing, please feel free to contact the Office of Residence Life at (330) 823-2243.

Ready Or Not Here They Come...Checking out already? It doesn’t seem possible, but before we know it students will be loading up their cars and bringing home three times the amount of stuff they came here with in August! Students who came here in a Volkswagon are likely to need a U-Haul to get them back home. At any rate, here are a couple of items for you to know so that you can plan ahead.

Students are required to check out of their residence halls or houses within 24 hours after their last final unless they are graduating, an official participant in the graduation festivities, an athlete still participating in his/her sport at the close of the spring semester or those students living in summer school housing. All final exams conclude by Tuesday, May 7; therefore all students except those listed above should be checked out of their rooms by Wednesday, May 8 at the latest.

Students must also follow a few simple procedures when checking out of their rooms. First, rooms must be returned to the original condition that students found them in when they checked in. Students may ask their Community Educator for a vacuum or trash bags. Some cleaning supplies are available on a limited basis. Students must arrange to check out of their room with a Community Educator. Students in houses without Community Educators living there should arrange a specific time in advance with the Office of Residence Life to be sure that they will be available at the time that they decide to leave campus.

The Community Educator will obtain the room condition report that was completed with each student upon their move in to their room and they will go through and note any differences in condition that they observe at that time. Students also will have an opportunity to make any comments on that form that they wish to as well. Students should also be sure to turn in their keys at this time.

Please be aware, however, that after the rooms are completely empty, the professional hall staff and physical plant staff also go through each room and make note of any room damages or excessive cleaning that may be required. This is the staff that ultimately assesses room charges so although no damage may have been noted on the Room Condition Report that a student receives upon their check-out, it is possible that the professional staff may feel that it is appropriate in some cases.

Students have 30 days from the date on the statement sent out by the Office of Business Affairs on which any room charges appear to appeal if they so desire. All appeals must be made in writing to the Office of Residence Life. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (330) 823-2243 or reslife@mountunion.edu

Is Your Son or Daughter Apartment or House Hunting?Is your son or daughter apartment or house hunting? A couple of things they may want to keep in mind:

The University of Mount Union Residency Requirementstates that all freshmen andsophomores must live on campus unless they are commuting from home (their parents or legal guardians’ address). In keeping with our mission and tradition of being a residential college, this policy is enforced. Since we are a residential university we ascribe to the belief that the residential experience can significantly contribute to a student's overall collegiate experience. Therefore, the Office of Residence Life strives to provide residential communities that focus on the living and learning process that is at the core of our University mission to prepare students for meaningful work, responsible citizenship and fulfilling lives. In accordance with those beliefs, all full-time students, prior to their junior year, are required to live on campus unless a Petition to Live Off Campus Prior to Junior Year is submitted to and approved by the Office of Residence Life. On that petition form, students must indicate why they should be accepted and provide documentation or a detailed explanation for that reason as well. Exceptions may be made for students prior to their junior year for the following reasons:

Students who are living with their parent(s)/guardian(s) in their permanent primary residence within 45 driving miles of the University of Mount Union.

Married, divorced, widowed or custodial parent.

22 years of age or older, prior to September 1 for that academic year.

Possession of a Baccalaureate degree from a four-year college.

Served and discharged from the Armed Forces.

Medical or financial hardship.

Because a student’s housing status can affect their financial aid award, all students including juniors and seniors planning to commute or live off campus will be required to complete a Residency Status Update Form to verify their housing situation with Mount Union. If their housing status changes, they should expect that their financial aid will likely change as well. In accordance with this policy, students will be asked to contact the Office of Student Financial Services to find out how this change might affect their financial aid award.

Alliance zoning laws stipulate that no more than2 non-related people may live at the same address. In some cases, however, depending on the location and historical use of the rental property, the occupancy restriction may allow for up to 4 non-related people at the same address. Students are advised to contact the City of Alliance Zoning Inspector at (330) 823-5122 before signing any leases to insure that they are in compliance with the law.

Student Alumni AssociationDid you know that The University of Mount Union has a Student Alumni Association (SAA)? The SAA exists as a student-based extension of the University of Mount Union’s Office of Alumni Relations and University Activities and is open to current Mount Union students.

The SAA aims to both provide programs and services for current Mount Union students that will foster a connection to the University as well as promote the interests of and understanding between Mount Union and Mount Union students - past, present and future.

SAA members have the opportunity to meet with alumni and friends as ambassadors of the institution and in return benefit from networking and connection opportunities. Your son or daughter are invited to join by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations and University Activities at alumni@mountunion.edu.

U and Mount Union

Office of Student Financial Services

As the 2012-2013 Academic Year comes to a close, the Office of Student Financial Services offers the following reminders.

The last day to request a Federal Stafford or Federal Parent PLUS loan for the 2012-2013 Academic Year is Friday, May 3.

Get a head start on the 2013-2014 Academic Year…

Summer School

Interested in financial aid for summer school? Contact our office about the possibilities after you schedule your classes.

FAFSA Reminders

You can now file the 2013-2014 FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. We highly encourage you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool embedded in the FAFSA. This tool allows the IRS to transmit your 2012 Federal Tax Return data directly onto your 2013-2014 FAFSA. This reduces the number of errors as well as the amount of documentation our office will request from you.

Financial Aid Awards

Financial aid awards will be available online beginning May 2013.

Loans for 2013-2014

Students and parents who choose to borrow loans to help with the educational costs are required to reapply each year. Forms for the Federal Stafford Loan and Federal Parent Loan will be available on our website (www.mountunion.edu/financial-aid) by April. Private loan applications can be filed on our website under the PRIVATE LOAN tab.

NOTE: Credit decisions for Federal Parent Plus loans are only good for 90 days so we recommend waiting to apply until after May 28, 2013.

Off Campus or Commuting (for Juniors and Seniors)

In collaboration with the Office of Residence Life, students who wish to live off campus for the upcoming year are required to meet with a financial aid staff member. The purpose is to determine if any of the student’s need-based financial aid will be reduced due to moving off campus. We will use the 2013-2014 FAFSA results to calculate the estimate so it will be important for you to file early so we can provide the most accurate information so you can make an informed decision about whether to live on or off campus for the upcoming year.

Graduation Reminders

If your son or daughter borrowed a Stafford loan during their undergraduate education, they will be asked to complete EXIT COUNSELING online at www.nslds.ed.gov. We will send email reminders to them 1 month prior to graduation.

www.nslds.ed.gov is a great place to track all federal loans. They can view the total amount borrowed and which companies are servicing their loans.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Financial AidFederal regulations require the University of Mount Union to establish satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards for federal financial aid recipients. We will review the following three areas annually: cumulative grade point average (GPA), completion rate, and maximum time frame. This only impacts federal funds such as Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Direct Loans (Stafford and Parent PLUS Loan), as well as financial aid from the state of Ohio. Details of the policy can be found online in the Undergraduate Catalog on page 10. You can also contact our office with questions. Our next review will be May 2013.

Office InformationThe Office of Student Financial Services is located in the lower level of the Gartner Welcome Center. You can send emails to us at finaid@mountunion.edu or call us at 1-877-543-9185.

Office of the Registrar

Registration for the 2013 fall semester will begin two weeks after spring break; students may register online after being authorized by their advisors. Power Campus Self-Service will be open for two weeks, April 1 – April 12, with students starting to register on the following schedule:

Seniors - April 1

Juniors - April 3

Sophomores - April 5

Freshmen - April 8

Students may register for summer school at Mount Union during that same period and also throughout the rest of the spring semester. Since 1870, Mount Union has offered a summer school each year; it is one of the region’s oldest continuous programs of summer study. The 2013 summer school offers three sessions:

Session I - 3 weeks, May 13 – May 31

Session II - 8 weeks, June 3 - July 26

Mount Union students who plan to take a summer course at another institution must request permission to do so by completing the Application for Transient Attendance at Another AccreditedInstitution. At the end of the summer, the student must request an official transcript for Mount Union, sent directly from the other institution.

Applications for graduation will be sent this spring to students who may be planning to graduate in May 2014. The degree clearance process begins over the summer, and seniors will receive information regarding their academic progress and remaining degree requirements. Mount Union does not charge a fee to apply for graduation.

Office of Business Affairs

Thanks to all the parents who have returned their Payment Calculation Worksheets. It is much appreciated. The Office of Business Affairs want to make sure you are aware of dates that will be of importance to you and your student this spring:

Payment Calculation worksheets should have been turned in before the start of the fall semester. If you have not returned them, please do so now.

January 31 –Late charges were assessed to all accounts with outstanding balances. The late fee is equal to the lesser of $70 or 2% of the outstanding balance due.

Your 1098T form has been sent to you by email or regular mail. If you believe you should have received one and have not, please contact ECSI direct at: 1-866-428-1098.

In addition, a calendar year statement has been prepared and available for your student to access online under the Self-Service tab.

February 28 - All accounts will be reviewed for current status. Accounts not current will be placed on hold status. The hold status will not allow registration or viewing of grades. Transcripts will not be released to any account in hold status. Accounts with balances at or below $400, or those on the Nelnet monthly payment plan are considered current.

Online registration dates for fall 2013 semester are April 1-12. Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Should you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us at (330) 823-6557 or toll-free 1-800-992-6682.

It is now easier to make a payment! You no longer need to have access to your student’s self-service account. Please log onto www.mountunion.edu; click on the Parents and Families tab; then click to “make a payment.”

Dr. Beth Canfield-Simbro, associate professor of human performance and sport business at the University of Mount Union, offers the following tips for preventing the flu and treating the illness if you have it.

The University of Mount Union has launched a free mobile application that is available for download from the app store on both Android and Apple devices. Users simply need to search “Mount Union” to find the

application.

Parent to Parent Beat

Hello!

Please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are two moms who are uniquely different in many ways. One was raised in a large family, the other a small one. One likes yellow, the other blue. One enjoys European vacations, the other the beach.

Though we may have some differences, we also share one common bond. We are both part of the Mount Union family as employees of the University’s advancement team and have daughters who are currently Mount Union seniors.

As mothers, we naturally have some very caring qualities about us. On the top of our list is providing the very best education for our children. During the past four years, we have seen them develop on physical, emotional and maturity levels. They have had many opportunities through their extracurricular activities, study abroad, service learning, planning committees and on-campus living. Thanks to a Mount Union education and its wonderful supportive faculty and staff, we feel that they are well prepared for the next step on life’s journey.Their experiences have far outweighed our expectations.

So, the next time you are on campus, stop by the offices of Alumni Relations and University Activities and The Mount Union Fund, which is located on the first floor of Beeghly Hall. We will be here to assist you with your campus visit, highlight all the good things that Mount Union provides, and maybe even share a brag or two.

We hope to see you soon!

Our best regards,

June PorterOffice of Alumni Relations and University ActivitiesOffice of The Mount Union Fund

Cathy OsslerOffice of Alumni Relations and University ActivitiesOffice of The Mount Union Fund